Kate and William continue their stay at Balmoral, joining other royals at church this morning.

IKM / Splash News

The service was at Crathie Kirk, perhaps best known as the Royal Family’s place of worship when at Balmoral. More from the Parish website.

The Parish of Braemar and Crathie is one of the largest, highest and most remote in Scotland. It is set in the magnificent Cairngorms National Park…

Braemer and Crathie Parish

Balmoral is the Scottish home to the Royal Family, it is where the Queen has her annual holiday. It is the most private and personal of the Queen’s homes. Most senior royals are invited to spend time there with Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh during the Queen’s 2-month stay at the Estate. Kate, William and George flew up last week.

Balmoral Castle & Estate

Sunday services are a tradition for the Royals. The Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Camilla also were at Crathie Kirk.

Also visiting at Balmoral this weekend, New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key, his wife Bronagh, their daughter Stephanie and son Max. Below, the prime Minister meeting with the Queen.

John Key Facebook Page

It is quite an honor to be invited to the Castle, few foreign dignitaries or leaders are asked to join the royals at their Scottish retreat. It can also be somewhat intimidating, more from the New Zealand Herald:

Mr Key said the family had asked for as much information as possible on Balmoral etiquette to avoid faux pas.

Bronagh Key and daughter Stephanie had invested in floor-length frocks for the formal dinner, Mr Key and son Max had bought the required formal suits.

“Tea is at 5 o’clock, you have to attend, don’t be late. The first dinner is a black-tie dinner so a long frock for Bronagh and Steffi. The next night will almost certainly be a barbecue and apparently they’re quite casual.

Mr. Key said they brought some “really top” wines from New Zealand to enjoy at this weekend’s barbecue.

As we have shared previously, a Tour of Australia and New Zealand next year is in the works for Kate, William and Prince George. Apparently that topic was on the agenda this weekend, Radio New Zealand has more:

Mr Key says he discussed the possibility of a visit to New Zealand by Prince William, the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George, who were also at Balmoral.

According to the Daily Mirror, Prince George’s passport has already been ordered.

Visiting the Queen can be quite a daunting undertaking task, the New Zealand Herald story is a delightful read, filled with tidbits about how the morning alarm clock is sounded, how one addresses Her Majesty and other insider tips.

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On a slightly related note, it turns out another royal is wearing one of Kate’s favorite maternity labels.

The two-tone silk frock retails at $365, the aqua and blue were beautiful with Zara’s coloring. Below we see Kate at the 2008 Ball, she was wearing an Issa London gown.

Boodles Boxing Ball

Kate clearly enjoyed herself at the event.

Courtesy Boodles Boxing Ball 2008

Last night’s black tie affair was wildly successful, raising a record-setting £200,000 for Starlight Children’s Foundation, a group granting wishes to seriously and terminally ill children. The event is sponsored by James Amos and Boodles Jewelry.

Bobby Rich Twitter Feed (@MrBobbyRich)

The gala at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Mayfair was attended by other royals, including Prince Harry, as well as Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice. Kate’s sister Pippa also attended.

Comments

That’s a very pretty coat by Moloh and I have to say I much prefer it this time on the grounds I only have to see it from the neck up! I’m afraid I’m among those who found it a tad too short on it’s earlier outing.

Kate wears a hat to perfection as ever and as long as she’s well and happy, I am too!

I am one of the few people who purchased the coat after it was restocked in limited numbers after the duchess wore it first time in scotland (I was told the company had some fabric left).
The coat looks very sophisticated especially buttoned all the way up. The colour tones are soft and subtle. The fabric is very soft to the feel and thin (while still feeling worm) which gives the lower part of the coat a floating, elegant feel as if one is earring a wool pleated skirt. In some respects it feels to me like a British overcoat (my British husband has a few): thin but structured.

Even though the hemline is shorter than most of her coats (at least before pregnancy) and i also agree that in general knee lenght looks more elegant, the coat feels very much like the duchess: its sophisticated and understated. It does look like an expensive coat in the sense of its details and fabric.

I definitely liked the coat even better in the flesh, and even though I intended to wear it with a few of my wool dresses, I’m finding my self wearing it a lot with jeans in London now that the weather has started to feel more autumnal here and also with a bit above the knee floating dresses and it surprisingly goes really well.

I also bought the Bali max mara coat after it was reissued a couple of months ago and it is a stunning coat:
It has a very unusual pale pink shade and it looks very princessy. I can’t wait for the weather to turn colder so as can start wearing it.

Moreover, comparing the moloh workers coat with another “pregnancy” shorter coat: the tamara jarmon coral coat (which I bought my at the bond street boutique were of of her member of staff purchased the coat for her, as I was told by the manager, it had sold out and so returned it as it was too small for them) even though i thought the shorter hemline would put me off buying it as I mainly buy knee length coats, I was surprised how elegant it looked. Possibly the shorter coats looked a bit shorter on her because she was pregnant?

Finally, I’ll have to agree with Lilly about the citrine drop earrings: I have tried them at the Kiki store on Sloan square in London and even though they do look very elegant in the photos, in the flesh the colour is so pale if she is standing not so far away they couldn’t tell you they were yellow. If one has similar hair to the duchess, In terms of thickness and colour, like I do, the (expensive) earrings are completely lost in the hair. At least wearing them with the hair back makes them more noticeable. Her studs from Kiki do stand out and are very sparkly and pricy of course!

Thank you Susan for your wonderful posts and giving me the opportunity to purchase some lovely clothing through your links and info.

My bow to Brenda for the detailed research~ I love Tartan too but I am not that deep when it comes to history. 🙂 My favorite is Black Watch. Does anyone happen to remember what Tartan was that scarf Kate was wearing during last summer’s Jubilee?

I loved this coat the first time she wore and I still think that both the colors and the tartan pattern are lovely. The length is not really that short and I am sure it falls a bit longer now that there is not a “bump” under it. Paired with black tights, boots and that gorgeous hat, I am sure she looked lovely at church. I do have to agree that I wouldnt have paired the yellow citrine drops with the blue/grey coat.

The Duchess is on a roll in my book. I am very fond of this coat, both in terms of the tartan pattern and the overall silhouette. I’m particularly fond of the neck (is that a funnel neck?), the prominent buttons, and the angled pockets with the oversize flaps. The length doesn’t bother me; I agree that knee-length coats are more elegant, but the shorter length on this coat has a fun and flirtatious feel, which is nice for a change of pace. I don’t believe there is anything inappropriate in the length either, since the Duchess tends to pair the coat with opaque tights. I’m also partial to the citrine drops. I think the coloring looks flattering against the Duchess’s brunette locks and adds some pizazz to the rather somber colors of the coat. And that hat!! Nothing needs to be said about that hat. I’m too busy mopping up jealousy-induced drool.

Many thanks to Brenda for her information about the tartans! Fashion is always more fun when there is history attached. Of course, kudos to Susan as well for such a fantastic and informative post!

No, a “funnel neck” is like the one on the Max Mara coat that the Duchess wore last year and that has now been named for her. See below.

“Funnel necks” are a type of standing collar that rises high on the neck. It is not a collar with “points”. (The collar on the Moloh coat has points.) Funnel necks always make me think of 1960’s styles, such as designs by Courreges.

I know Kate did not attend the Van Cutsem funeral, but does anyone else see a resemblance to Lady Tamara Van Cutsem? woman who did attend? Scroll down toward the end of the story for the photo of her with her husband Edward, and you will see what Kate might look like in a few years. The hat reminded me.

Continued thanks, Susan, for your awesome blog. You ROCK and I’m always thrilled with the “Queen of Recycling.”
Booties Boxing Ball photos – when the DoC formerly know as Kate Middleton – parted her hair on her anatomically left side. Quite the change in her “look” when “the part” moved to the other side. Wonder if it had anything to do with her scar?
Happy Autumn to all.

I love that hat, but I was rather hoping we’d see the end of the very short coats with the end of the Duchess’s pregnancy. I can’t help reiterating the fact that I find knee-length skirts and coats considerably more chic and elegant. I also think the citrine earrings weren’t the best choice with the colors of the coat.

If she wanted to wear a tartan look and hadn’t had time to purchase anything new, her Alexander McQueen Black Watch coat dress would have been a nice choice. Perhaps she brought it along to wear for some other occasion in Scotland.

I think Alexander McQueen coat is too fitted and wouldn’t fit the Duchess who is breastfeeding at the moment. I do agree with the point you make that super short skirts were worn during the pregnancy to draw attention away from the waistline and the baby bump. But don’t you think the duchess may be wearing a longer dress or skirt underneath? Sadly, there are no full length pictures anywhere, so I guess we’ll never know. In terms of the earrings, I actually like the contrasting, rather than matching accessories. I think the look is very fresh and on trend.

I’m not sure that yellow earrings with a blue and gray coat reflect a current trend, but I simply dislike that particular color contrast. It looks unattractive to me, though as I’ve commented here before, I’ve never cared for citrine.

The Moloh coat is rather fitted, too, shorter than the McQueen coatdress but with very similar lines. I’m not convinced it would work well with a longer skirt underneath it. It might if it were a little longer or cut differently, but as it is, I think it’s not meant to be worn over longer garments. It’s really the sort of thing I’d expect to see on someone in her late teens or early 20’s and over a very short dress. I thought that the first time I saw it, though of course the price is significantly higher than most very young women could be expected to pay.

Not at all. There was no good reason for her to wear something new, and I don’t think marianne or I suggested that she should have done so. I simply like other outfits she has worn previously rather better than this coat.

On the subject of tartans, on which Brenda provided such interesting information, I am of Scottish ancestry myself, and the most successful gift I ever gave my maternal grandfather was a cashmere scarf in the family tartan of his beloved mother, a native-born Scot. (I wear that scarf now.) If you’re of Scottish heritage, scarves and shawls in a family tartan really do make great presents for your relatives. And for the non-Scots, just pick a tartan you especially like. It’s a classic look.

I certainly didn’t expect her to, using your words, “be worried about what she wore at all,” but the truth is, she clearly gave it some thought. She always does. It is not accidental that she is wearing a tartan coat while in Scotland. Kate usually looks effortless, but always put together. She also has a pitch perfect sense of what’s appropriate for the occasion: she is never too casual, never overdressed. It is obvious that clothes, hair, make-up matter to her. That’s why we have What Kate Wore blog, and not What Zara Wore, or What Beatrice Wore. No offense to Zara and Beatrice and their numerous fans…

I love her hat and earrings nice to see her spending time with william’s side of the family.
zara looks so happy. Im so happy for her having this baby. I hope we see a photo of george with the queen and phillip and charles.

Thank you for your post; I really enjoyed it. What a fun surprise to catch a glimpse of Kate before an official engagement! I thought you and your readers may be interested in this article; it explains how the Slovenian Ambassador and his wife reached out to EACH and presented them with a beautiful birch cradle.

The Queen is wearing the Balmoral tartan, which was designed by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria. It is restricted to members of the royal family, and only can be worn with the queen’s permission. You see it in different colors — gray and beige, as pictured above.

I second the sentiment – many thanks to Brenda, and while we are at it, to Susan also. I really enjoyed the Boxing Ball part and the fact that Zara wore the Josephine maternity dress, I haven’t seen it mentioned anywhere else!

But I have to say, with regards to tartan, they are Scottish traditions, not English ones.

Thank you! I am a tartan aficionado. My first tartan came from
The Scotch House in London when my mother brought it back from a visit. Her tartan is Black Watch, so of course we were delighted when Kate wore it.

I agree, great information about the tartans! The Balmoral tartan looks lovely. This fall I am finally going to order a scarf in my family tartan, Ramsey ancient blue. My mom has a Ramsey red scarf that she has had for years, and I look forward to having one of my own. I hope someday we see Kate in the Balmoral tartan!